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Last year saw a lot of banks in the finance industry adopt blockchain-based solutions and as the technology blockchain becomes more sophisticated, it is expected to spread across various industries throughout this year.
Trying to predict the future isn’t an easy thing to do but the guys over at Forbes asked Technology Council members to predict which industries will get involved with blockchain next. If you work in one of the following industries then you should probably start to think about how your company might be able to get on the blockchain bandwagon to assist your growth.
Education
So there are a lot of industries that are looking into blockchain as a potential technology to help bolster them above the competition and here is why education should look into it too.
There are a lot of big organisations that have got common interests and wish to enable transfer of credentials which could greatly benefit from a common blockchain. Storing the credits you’ve earned through this method could help preserve and ensure liquidity for the data by helping both students and institutions.
For crypto projects, Ripple is the best one for this field as they have recently partnered up with 11 universities from across the globe. This results in Ripple having 29 partnered institutions in the field.
According to Ripple Insights:
“In education, we’re partnering with leading universities around the world to support increased research and innovation in blockchain, cryptocurrency and FinTech through the University Blockchain Research Initiative (UBRI), launched in June.”
Power
Power and energy supply firms aren’t usually thought of as using bleeding-edge technology but blockchain might be something that stands out. Blockchain technology is able to assist real-time transactions like energy trading, which could speed up the whole process because a third party verification isn’t needed.
This should also be the result in greater transparency and cost reductions.
Online Commerce
As you would expect, online commerce, e-commerce, is something that occurs online. There is always the worry about cybersecurity and online payments with e-commerce and that there is always that extra step in order to prevent security breaches. Blockchain technology is known for being very hard to hack into and so people are able to feel safer as e-commerce make bigger and more complex fiscal transactions online. When Bitcoin wallets eventually get adopted, the process will be a lot smoother.
Crypto projects like Bitcoin is one of the biggest currencies for this industry. With Bitcoin ATMs on the rise across the world (more than 4,000 in the US), being able to spend your Bitcoin is easier than it has ever been!
Healthcare
The healthcare industry is always busy and new technologies like blockchain could help make processes in the space a lot easier.
There is a lot of test work that has been executed in the health industry such as supply chain, slow payments and the claim dental issues in revenue cycle management value-based contracting arrangements for bundled payments, referral management and patient record sharing. Throughout this year, a lot of this test work will be most likely moved towards a production level.
The crypto project that will tie in with healthcare is VeChain.
During China's tragic vaccine scandal, it was reported in August that vaccine manufacturers in the nation provided hundreds of thousands of faulty and falsely documented vaccines to Chinese school children. The scandal has incited widespread fury in both China and abroad. VeChain introduced their drug and vaccine traceability solution last year which was developed in partnership with DNV GL and leveraged public blockchain technology to quickly advance drug traceability, security, monitoring and auditing.
Agriculture
As reported by Forbes, food contamination issues can damage businesses and whole. Supply chain traceability can recall precise losses as well as putting a cap on them too. Blockchain and in-field Internet of Things devices enable high granularity of traceability from the field block and picker to the consumer. “Expect this first for leafy greens and later throughout agriculture.”
IoT
Speaking of Internet of Things, this is something that blockchain would be perfect for. A key use case for blockchain will be in solving problems of identity management. While digital certificates provide a first factor of authentication there are a lot of other factors that don’t apply to machines such as biometrics. Blockchain allows transaction history to be used as an alternative method to establish confidence in a machine’s identity.
Delivery
Last but certainly not least is delivery. Shipping and logistics is a potential domain where blockchain could be used. Currently, there is a lot of bureaucracy involved when consignments are delivered from one source to another which can result in a loss of consignments as well as a manipulation of proper records. “Blockchain could

A partnership between IBM and the U.S state of California will use blockchain and the Internet of Things (IoT) to combat a drought that is harming agriculture production in the state. The partnership will see IBM Research and sensor tech provider SweetSense work with non-profit organization The Freshwater Trust (TFT) and the University of Colorado Boulder. The group will use blockchain and IoT technology to efficiently manage groundwater use and SweetSense IoT sensors will transmit water extraction data to satellites. The data will be stored in a cloud-based smart contract platform designed by IBM and farmers, financiers, regulators, and consumers will be able to access the data via a web-based app to view groundwater use in real time. The system will also be used to issue “groundwater shares” which can be purchased and traded by holders. Groundwater shareholders who do not utilize their allotted shares can exchange them as credits with those who need more. (RS)

Blockchain-based firm TYMLEZ Group and Google have partnered to enable it to market its blockchain platform on Google's marketplace. With this, this nascent technology will be marketed to a large and ready audience. Google will also provide training materials and Gooogle credits for TYMLEZ developers enabling them to use the Google Cloud developer for customer demonstrations. TYMLEZ Group is on track to commercialization as it has also announced collaborations with global tech giants SUSE and Hewlett Packard Enterprise. (KE)

The team behind OpenNode, a Bitcoin Lightning Network payment processing app, recently announced that they will be gifting every new/existing user $10,000 worth of free received transactions as a move to help push adoption. OpenNode is also offering $50,000 of free credits to projects and nonprofits that work to help those in need. According to the team, “these credits will benefit those who need it most: growing teams who need a platform to build great products on a reasonable budget or developers looking to experiment with Bitcoin’s newest technology.” The normal fee is 1% per transaction. (JF)

As technology advances, scientists have been working on building a new world through virtual reality. No team is working harder to make this dream than Neos. While some progress has been made in this area of computer science, the virtual reality so far only allows one user to build things, usually not even in VR.
The Neos Metaverse is an all in one package for building and experiencing a virtual world that is as close or as far from reality as desired. These virtual worlds are accessible by many different users at the same time from any part of the world working on the same project or just hanging out and having fun. We will examine the Neos Metaverse Project in this article, what it is and how it will impact our world in the near future.
What is Neos about?
There has been a transition through time from command-line text-based computer user interfaces to two-dimensional interfaces. There is a gradual transition to the spatial computing interfaces and a growing need for advanced meta spaces. Neos is out to facilitate this transition to provide a more collaborative work environment for computer users of the virtual reality technology as well as providing a near natural environment for interactive work and entertainment in the space.
Neos makes it possible to immediately convert ideas into virtually tangible objects and share such ideas with others in a decentralized environment that greatly improves communication and collaboration between people all over the world by allowing many people to work together to create different things, working together in the virtually real world.
This environment allows interaction with many things including living and nonliving components cutting across all aspects of life as we know it. Although the interaction experience is near real, such interaction is not limited by the laws of nature such as gravity.
This technology already finds application in everyday life where this experience can be automated to handle tasks that are severally repeated by humans, an example being a file sharing scenario where you can automate his/her repeated actions so that time handling computer files can be saved to do other things.
The Neos Metaverse - what is it like?
Creator of the Neos project Tomáš Mariančík compares the Neos Virtual Reality environment to a “social universe”, a place where “You can meet other people, play with them, explore.” The interface also allows importation of 3D models, images, videos, music as well as offer editing tools that allow users to create different worlds with other people across the world, all in a virtual world.
The project is like the OASIS in 2045 brought into reality in 2019. The OASIS in the science fiction movie Ready Player One released in 2018 is a virtual world that humans use to escape the real world and players compete to take full control of that virtual world to escape being consumed by the real world.
But fear not, the reality should be not as grim as the dystopian Hollywood productions would have you think.
The opportunities that spatial computing interfaces and meta spaces bring are synergetic to activities like education, science, design, development, empathy training, remote assistance, remote machinery operation, and many others, and they should contribute to a more desirable reality for everyone.
It’s safe to assume that regular users of future advanced meta spaces will generally place less emphasis on materialistic possessions and values, as those are abundant in such spaces, and place greater emphasis on scarce values like social relationships, novel experiences, art, intellectual property, and related activities in general.
The Metaverse money
More than being a virtual world of endless possibilities, the Neos Metaverse is also an economy and no economy can continue without money. Neos Credits (NCR) is a token that allows members of the In-verse community to earn a living. It works with other cryptocurrencies to transfer value within the community. Early adopters will earn NCR that will enable them to participate in the economy.
With NCR, users can form relationships and interact with other members of the community in activities obtainable in the real world. For users and supporters looking to get NCR, they can do so by sending Ethereum to Neos addresses on the website as a part of the minting process. As pricing of NCR is done depending on the minting batch, the value of NCR obtained this way is equivalent to the batch in which they are mined although a network fee is deducted.
Another way is to sign up as a patreon. Patreons get rewarded with NCR whose value indirectly corresponds to the minting value and is ~50-70% of the corresponding pledge. Money raised through the ICO is used to develop the metaverse and there is a total supply of 50,000,000 NCR each having an initial value of $0.06.
The post NEOS Metaverse: the Future of Virtual Reality appeared first on ZyCrypto.

Opinion: Messari, a startup data research company, recently published a report that claims that the market cap of XRP, the second largest cryptocurrency should be further down the line, maybe even fifth rank or lower.
The report claims that there is a lot of XRP that is restricted and doesn’t contribute to the market cap. Moreover, the report puts the actual circulating supply of XRP at 21.821 billion.
The report excludes the XRP held by Jed McCaleb, Foundation assets, Chris Larsen, and even XRP II, which, in total amounts to approximately 19.21 billion.
Furthermore, the market cap of XRP, as per the Messari reports, is overstated by a total of 46.83%. Comparing this with the current price from CoinMarketCap puts XRP at a market cap of $6.584 billion i.e., fourth position, just between Ethereum and EOS [at the time of writing the price of XRP was at $0.301734, EOS was at fourth position with a market cap of $2.17 billion].
As per the data from the XRP Charts, the total supply of XRP multiplied by the current price of XRP, puts the market cap of XRP at approximately $31 billion.
Furthermore, the report fails to consider, the market cap from Korean markets that are inherently excluded, from CoinMarketCap metrics which devalues the asset more than it should.
In addition, Forbes Crypto Markets defines market cap as:
“Traditionally as a financial term, market capitalization is total supply multiplied by the price.”
@devor_junior, a Twitter user commented:
” Quote from above:
‘Traditionally as a financial term, market capitalization is TOTAL SUPPLY multiplied by the price.’
XRP total supply = 99,991,699,770.49
So actually it’s being underreported almost everywhere.”
Another Twitter user @mikenardolillo commented:
“Not to mention even the CS of xrp is 99.991B as stated by Forbes even the uncirculated supply fluctuates frequently and is just cryptographic not legal binding.”
As per Messari’s research, Bitcoin, the world’s largest cryptocurrency would also face the same ramifications if “restricted” assets are to be excluded.
Anthony Pompliano recently tweeted that a total of 26,000 BTC were lost by an exchange as they were no longer able to access them and this would mean that the market cap of Bitcoin would be less.
Furthermore, the $1 million Bitcoins held in escrow by Craig Wright has to be excluded from the market cap of Bitcoin as well.
The post Ripple/XRP: Busting the FUD about XRP’s market cap appeared first on AMBCrypto.

DappRadar is a great tool that displays information about almost all the decentralized applications (Dapps) in existence.
The Dapps are grouped in different categories and ranked based on a number of key metrics and analytics.
The website ranks Ethereum, EOS, and Tron Dapps.
On the Tron network, gambling Dapps constitute the majority. The top 10 Dapps mainly consists of gambling Dapps.
10 Popular Dapps on the Tron Network
DappRadar has different metrics for ranking Dapps, but I looked at the 10 Dapps that had the highest amount of users within 24 hours.
The positions do change very quickly for this ranking category as the number of users for each Dapp changes every day.
However, the following list of 10 top Dapps on the Tron network, accompanied with a brief description of each, should provide an excellent overview of the types of Dapps leading in this market right now.
1. Epic Dragons (Game)
Epic dragons is a Japanese styled game that pits fierce adventurers against fierce dragons. The game is enriched by a number of elements that include character development, investment simulation, and real-time strategy.
The game has two gaming modes - battling and exploring. The battling stage requires players to pick their own team to face the dragon and get contribution credit in return.
If the team conquers the dragon, all the team members are rewarded according to their contribution.
If the dragon is not conquered after a specified time, it will run away and leave the players in exploring mode. When this stage is completed, participants are rewarded by the system.
A player can join the game by contributing TRX tokens or by introducing a new player to the game and play for free.
The skill levels are Warrior, Knight, and Wizard.
2. Crazy Dogs Live (Gambling)
Crazy Dogs Live is described as the “world’s first social gambling game ecosystem” developed by a team inspired by the Great Tencent Gaming.
According to the white paper, the platform has powerful development game capabilities and has several games that include a dog racing game.
The platform has a lucky draw where the winners are reward with TRX tokens. This was done as a way of attracting new players to the ecosystem.
Users need a TronLink or TronPlay wallet to play the game and own TRX tokens which you can use for placing bets.
3. TronCraft (Gambling)
TronCraft is a games platform that features dice and racing games. The platform is said to be “the first shareholder+FOMO double dividend blockchain games.”
The platform has gaming and mining modes.
The mining mode is designed for miners to have first-hand information about mining costs and allow them to devise the best mining strategies beneficial to them.
The early miners enjoy a greater chance of raking in huge profits.
TronCraft has its own native token, CFT, which players use to bet on games. Players can pledge their CFT to gain shareholder dividends.
The players can obtain CFT by playing games, mining, purchasing the tokens in secondary markets, and get rewards for doing tasks and contributing to the community.
4. TronVegas (Gambling)
TronVegas draws its name from Las Vegas, the entertainment capital of the world known for its large number of casinos and hotels.
TonVegas is an online casino with a number of games that include Dice, Roulette (beta), SkyRocket, DigiX, DragonTiger, and with plans to launch more games in the future.
Players need to have a positive balance of TRX tokens which they will use for their bets.
5. PLAY GOC (Gambling)
PLAY GOC is a gaming platform. The featured games include Party Dice, Play Dice, Black Jack, Roulette, Baccarat, Classic Pinko, and The Fruits.
Players need to install the TronLink GuildChat for mobile and deposit funds into their holdings.
The platform’s primary token is the PLAY token, and other tokens are Reward (RWD) and GOC.
On this platform, “mining” refers to the playing of games with PLAY, TRX, GOC, and other tokens to and earn RWD tokens. Mining difficulty increases as more RWD tokens are mined.
6. ALLBET (Gambling)
ALLBET platform is aiming to create a “Game/Guessing as a Service (GaaS) Dapp game ecosystem.” The games on the platform are Dice and Poker.
The native token on the platform is called AB and has a total supply of 10 billion.
The tokens are issued on the three competing blockchain network - Tron, EOS, and Ethereum.
ALLBET has a referral program that earns users rewards for inviting other people to the platform.
7. TRONbet (Gambling)
The TRONbet platform has a number of games. Users need to have a TronLink wallet with TRX tokens.
The users can then specify the amount of TRX they want to bet. The Ante token is the centerpiece of the TRONStation ecosystem.
8. Dice 3D (Gambling)
Dice 3D is exactly what its name suggests - a dice game with 100 percent dividends. The Dice 3D gaming platform issues DCX, a TRC20 standard token. The total supply of the tokens is 100 million.
The platform shares its all of income with users in the form of dividends. This i

CoinSpeaker
SatoshiPay Shakes Hands with Axel Springer to Enable Users Pay for Content Using Blockchain
The U.K.-based startup announced Thursday that consumers of the Berlin-headquartered firm’s content can pay using SatoshiPay’s wallet, which is built based on Stellar blockchain technology. Axel Springer owns titles including Business Insider, Die Welt and Rolling Stone (German edition). It has 15,000 employees and made revenue of €3.5 billion in 2017a healthy 60 percent of which was generated from digital media.
SatoshiPay said that its wallet will be integrated into Axel Springer’s online products and will work without any intermediaries, so payments will be directly credited to the publisher’s account from its content consumers.
As part of the project, SatoshiPay’s payment solution is to be integrated into Axel Springer products in order to gain experience in user acceptance and generate initial revenues.
Dr Valentin Schöndienst, Senior Vice President New Business, Axel Springer SE stated:
“Blockchain payments can significantly reduce transaction costs and thus enable new monetization systems for content. SatoshiPay offers a turnkey solution that allows us to instantly use blockchain technology and offer it to our customers”.
Meinhard Benn, Founder and CEO of SatoshiPay said:
“We are excited to work with Axel Springer, who recognise the immense potential of blockchain technology. As one of the few companies with a market-ready blockchain payment solution, we are focused on bringing this technology from laboratories into the mainstream.
This has been SatoshiPay’s mission since its foundation in 2014, and a partner with the tremendous reach of Axel Springer gives us the opportunity to deliver on this promise. We would also like to thank the Stellar Development Foundation, which supports this cooperation with a seven figure partnership grant.”
Do remember that in July of last year, SatoshiPay said it planned to list on AIM, a sub-market of the London Stock Exchange, when London-based crypto investor Daniel Masters invested €5,66,000 (or $6,47,829) in its pre-IPO funding.
The micropayments partnership will embed SatoshiPay’s payment service into Axel Springer products and is expected to go live in spring this year. Payments are made in Stellar Lumens which users can buy with fiat currency in the SatoshiPay wallet. To support the Stellar network, SatoshiPay launched three of its own Stellar full nodes on January 9.
The new micropayments will be made available in the SatoshiPay payment services, which will be integrated by the Spring when it goes live. All payments will be made in Stellar Lumens, and SatoshiPay has already setup three full nodes with Stellar earlier this month in preparation.
Though this is the first major partnership in the collaborative sense for cryptocurrency and SatoshiPay, the company has already held media partnerships, like with City A.M. and The Register.
By making it possible to use micropayments, consumers may feel more likely to pay a nominal fee to view content, rather than a substantial subscription price for a single article that interests them. However, that theory is based on the assumption that the user finds something they want to read at all.
Just for reminder, in May last year, SatoshiPay has announced an establishment of their first official partnership with a large news web portal. Now UK’s major tech news outlet called The Register will utilize SatoshiPay for selling its digital content. To mark such a great event, SatoshiPay will award their users with 1,000,000 Stellar lumens (XLM tokens ) as free credit.
The collaboration with the cryptocurrency payments platform enabled The Register to support a cryptocurrency micropayment option for some content presented on the website. Users now have a chance to purchase SatoshiPay credits in the form of Stellar Lumens (XLM) via The Register’s platform. These credits can be utilized for buying e-books. Moreover, they can be used for payments on other websites that SatoshiPay.
SatoshiPay Shakes Hands with Axel Springer to Enable Users Pay for Content Using Blockchain

Yoni Assia, eToro's founder and CEO, recently stated that he expects the firm to get 30% of its revenue from Asia. This figure is up from 15% last year, and he credits the startup's success to the expanding crypto markets in Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand. According to Yoni, Asia lacks sophisticated technology platforms that enable people to trade the global markets. He added that the eToro 'Social Trading' platform mostly attracts young people and that it targets Southeast Asia retail traders because they find 'top traders' through social media and copy their trade ideas. (KE)

Huobi exchange which has announced the lay off for almost 50 percent of its staff is still profitable. The chief executive of Huobi Global, Livio Weng Xiaoqi claims that the firm’s valuation is profitable every month.
Turning Profits Amidst Layoffs and FSA Licencing
During an interview, Weng in his Beijing office discusses how Houbi is still worth profiting regularly. Although the figures for profit is a matter of secret but Weng credits ‘transaction fees’ as the main source of earning for exchange. He said that;
“We do not know how long the bear market will last, so it is still possible that we will struggle to survive. We have to plan in advance and spend money carefully.”
Huobi global, the main exchange business is reportedly contributing as much as 70 percent of its total revenue. As per the data from Coinmarketcap, the exchange valued the average trading volume of $256,282,917, plunged to the eighth position by losing 25.43 percent during 24hrs.
Source: CoinMarketCap
Regulated Crypto Exchange
Despite the strict regulatory compliance, Huobi exchange intends to reach millions across the world. Significantly, Huobi on 17th Jan 2019 has acquired a license from FSA (Financial Service Agency) to capture the Japanese market. By acquiring the license, the exchange is now a fully licensed platform in Japan. Interestingly, the firm is also merged with BitTrade exchange which was one of the 17th exchange receiving the license from FCA. Following the acquisition, BitTrade’s existing customers are expecting to have new account with Huobi Japan and to undergo with KYC process as well. Haiteng Chen, Huobi Japan CEO says;
“We’re looking to continue to grow our presence here while offering top-notch digital asset trading services in Japan.”
Huobi’s mission of capturing the global market is likely the reason why it wants to be a fully licensed firm across the various countries. Notably, until now, it has obtained the license in USA, Japan, and Europe. In a similar context, Weng reveals that Huobi’s major audience is Chinese who live outside of China. Accordingly, he says that 70 percent of Houbi’s customer who is Chinese uses VPN service. He notes that,
“Our greatest advantage over competitors is that we have licenses in all major countries - we are the only one among top global exchanges,”
Besides operating as a crypto exchange, Huobi is also exciting the people interested in future trading. Accordingly, in late 2018, it has launched the ‘derivative trading platform’ in competition to OKEx and BitMEX exchange. As on Jan 17, 2019, Huobi Derivative Market marks more than $20 billion as per the reports. Further, the achievement co-relates the company’s believe of catering to customer’s requisites. Livio Weng says that;
“I believe this explains our platform’s explosive growth, even in the midst of the ongoing bear market,”
The post Huobi Exchange Remain Profitable - CEO Claims, Amid Bear Market & Lay Off appeared first on Coingape.

The United Nations (UN) year-end report has called Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies the “new frontier” in global finance with massive potential to revolutionize business.
Even before the release of the World Economic and Social Survey 2018, it remains no secret that the International Assembly has already invested heavily in blockchain through the International Children’s Education Fund (UNICEF).
The UN itself is not new to working with companies which apply the latest technologies such as blockchain. Binance’s head of blockchain charity has indicated in the past that the technology would bring “transformative solutions to social problems, and help bridge the UN Sustainable Development Goals funding gap in fast and innovative ways”.
The UN’s latest report refers to the advantages of crypto, blockchain and distributed ledger technology and suggests a value token under consideration called ClimateCoin, which may be a way of addressing carbon emissions in the future, a major concern to many nations at present arguing, “Cryptocurrencies represent a new frontier in digital finance and their popularity is growing. The decentralized networks for cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin being a well-known example...”
ClimateCoin is being seen as one solution using cryptocurrency that would allow P2P exchanges of carbon credits allowing devices to calculate emissions and offset them accordingly by purchasing further credits.
UNICEF recently received a boost with companies including Atix Labs, Onesmart, Prescrypto, Statwig, Utopixar, and W3 Engineers being awarded the challenge of building prototypes for global issues such as health-care delivery, affordable access to mobile phone connectivity, and the ability to direct finances and resources to social-impact projects.
The UN’s main body expressed interest in “the new frontier” in May 2018 when it announced a collaboration with IOTA to increase the efficiency of United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) operations.
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“The blockchain could radically transform this market.”
William Evans, who recently left cryptocurrency exchange Kraken to lead fintech startup Veridium Labs, isn’t talking about the bond market, the FX market, or even the stock market. He’s talking about the market for carbon credits, a financial product his firm wants to bring to the next level.
Carbon credits represent a financial contribution to a project that aims to decrease carbon emissions. A person or firm, an airline or oil company for instance, can be issued a carbon credit after making a contribution to, lets say a greenhouse project, to balance out their own carbon emissions. These entities could also purchase carbon credits from the market. Those credits, in a sense, are a type of asset and are regulated by the Commodities Futures Trading Commission.
“But the market is fairly illiquid,” Evans said, meaning it’s hard for investors to get in or out of a position.”Our vision is to develop a marketplace for these projects to be invested in and for the trading and issuance of credits to occur.”
To that end, Evans said the firm plans to tokenize carbon credits. Evans said the demand for carbon credits is set to increase in the coming years as firms are pressured by customers and investors to make contributions to the environment.
Evans worked at Kraken for seven months. The Chicago Exchange veteran has a long and storied career in financial services. Before catching the crypto bug and joining Kraken, Evans was an executive director at exchange giant CME Group. He oversaw the firm’s ventures unit, which made early-stage investments in financial technology firms.
He joined Veridium Labs in December. “I’ve been talking to them for a while and have been helping them dig through things.”
“Pressure is mounting for companies to show they are dedicated to ESG,” he said.
In recent years, investors have become increasingly concerned with the impact of their investments — not just alpha or outsized returns. That’s put pressure on money managers to find sustainable investment options.
“Investor appetite for environmental solutions has increased sharply in recent years, with $21.4 trillion in global assets incorporating socially responsible investing, and up to 93% of US millennials showing a high preference for impact investing,” Bank of America Merrill Lynch said in a 2017 report.
That has fueled the growth of green bonds, carbon credits, and so-called impact funds. Investors are taking environmental matters more seriously, with UBS now including environmental scores to guide its investments. It has also put pressure on firms to prove that they are green.
That pressure could be a tailwind for both carbon credits and Veridium.
The firm has partnered with IBM to help make their dreams a reality. As reported by Computerworld, the firms are in talks with regulators to determine how their platform should be regulated.
“That regulatory treatment of the instrument will then inform who and how individuals and/or corporations are eligible to buy it,” said Jared Klee, IBM’s blockchain offering manager.
The post A former Kraken exec is hoping to transform the carbon credit market with blockchain appeared first on The Block.

Blockchain payment platform BitPay has announced that 2018 has been their most profitable year, having “processed over a $1 Billion again in payments and set a new record for transaction fee revenue.”In a statement, BitPay CEO Stephen Pair said, “To process over a $1 Billion for a second year in a row despite Bitcoin’s large price drop shows that Bitcoin is being used to solve real pain points around the world.” 2018 was a particularly fraught year for the crypto space, as prices saw a steady decline. Nevertheless, BitPay was able to show positive expansion, which it credits in part to “new customers like Dish Networks, HackerOne, and the State of Ohio.”“The adoption of support for Payment Protocol wallets has made a big difference for our merchants,” added Sean Rolland, head of product of BitPay. “Merchants are now able to easily accept Bitcoin payments in a simple easy way without any support issues. This was our biggest request by our enterprise merchants.”One of the oldest, still-active companies in the space, having been founded in 2011, BitPay made upgrades to their system through 2018. It set “a record for reducing payment error rates,” from 8 percent to only 1 percent, as well as adding “settlement support for Bitcoin Cash and stable coins from Circle, Gemini, and Paxos.” Nevertheless, the company is still primarily focused on Bitcoin, and this strategy has continued to pay out dividends despite the fluctuations of the market. At a time when crypto companies are reporting series of layoffs, BitPay both “grew headcount by 78% in 2018” and also “raised $40 Million in Series B funding bringing its total raised capital to over $70 Million.”
This article originally appeared on Bitcoin Magazine.

Singh Airdrop is worth 720 SINGH tokens (~$ 180).
About Singh
Singh is a Democratic Content Creation Network, in the form of a mobile Application, where people all over the world can monetize their talent, by participating in special campaigns with a prize in real money, in the form of Singh Credits, which can be turned into Amazon Gift Cards or used to buy merchandise from the App's Shop. Each campaign is created by an Advertiser by paying SINGH ERC20 tokens and features a unique set of rules, the Advertiser could ask Singh users to design his new logo, or to take a picture of themselves with a particular book, to make a video about their favorite restaurant... Anything really!

Columbia University is one of the oldest universities in the country. In fact, it’s older than the country. It was founded in 1754 when New York was still an English colony and its original name was King’s College. Along with Harvard and Princeton, Columbia has played a preeminent role in American academia; 96 Nobel Prize laureates have an affiliation with the school. It has been at forefront of the scientific discovery, 33 Nobel Prize winners were affiliated with its Physics Department, the Manhattan Project takes its roots here. The university also played a role in the invention of Sequential Lateral Solidification (SLS) as well as Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) - some of the widest used technologies today. In addition, the school supports quite a few initiatives to foster entrepreneurship and innovation amongst its students and alumni. It’s rumored to be the second largest owner of land in New York City behind the Catholic Church and boasts one of the biggest endowments which as of 2018 stands at around $11 billion.
IBM (International Business Machines Corporation) is no slouch either, a tech giant with $110 billion market cap, and although it has gone through its ups and downs while transitioning from a hardware company to a software company, it has been amongst the early adopters of the blockchain technology as it was one of the early members of the Hyperledger Project.
Thus, when we came across a headline “Columbia University and IBM Establish New Center to Accelerate Innovation in Blockchain and Data Transparency”, we believed this was a major development in the space and something that was a bit underrated by the community, so we decided to give our readers a better insight into this collaboration.
Sharon Sputz, Garud N. Iyengar, Satish Rao, Jules Miller, and Nitin Gaur
According to Sharon Sputz, Executive Director of Strategic Programs at Data Science Institute at Columbia University, the cooperation will consist of three main areas: 1) Education 2) Research and 3) Acceleration.
Education
Several courses will be added to the curriculum of various schools of Columbia University. For instance, the Law School will add a course on governance and the Business School will have one discussing digital assets as a new asset class focusing on the securities aspect. The new curriculum hasn’t yet been unveiled in its entirety.
Research
The research side of this partnership will be publishing whitepapers and conducting workshops. According to the Columbia University research leader Garud Iyengar, thus far, three research projects have received seed funding:
Machine Learning and the Changing Economics of Knowledge (Simona Abis and Laura Veldkamp). “This project uses a combination of theory and empirics to estimate how data is transformed into knowledge, productivity, and profits, and how machine learning alters that process. By developing a method to value data as intangible capital, we can gauge how machine learning has changed the returns to scale of firms that use big data”.
Incentive Compatible Blockchains (Christos Papadimitriou, Tim Roughgarden, and Xi Chen). “The goal of the research is to understand the role of incentives in blockchains. The researchers aim to explore the design space of reward mechanisms for both the Proof-of-Work and Proof-of-Stake frameworks, to achieve Myerson-like characterizations of incentive compatible blockchain protocols, and to identify tasks that are achievable in permissioned blockchains but formally impossible to carry out in permissionless blockchains”.
DeepSEA Framework for Building Certified Smart Contracts (Ronghui Gu). “This DeepSEA-IBM project aims to enable the formal verification of Hyperledger Burrow smart contracts in Coq. It allows the developers to implement the contact in a high-level language, while a specification that can be reasoned about in Coq will be automatically generated. The contract will then be compiled into Hyperledger Burrow bytecode with a proof that no bugs are introduced during the compilation”.
In addition, there will be workshops held on these topics, and the ultimate goal is to publish whitepapers illuminating the discussions held in the workshops.
If the first research topic is not directly related to the blockchain technology, the last two touch on the subjects that don’t only have an academic interest, but practical implications as well. Based on the Bitcoin example, we know that the PoW (proof-of-work) framework may work, but we don’t exactly know why. Also, we assume that it becomes safe only once a certain scale has been achieved, but we don’t know where this threshold lies. On the other hand, the PoS (proof-of-stake) framework doesn’t even have much empirical evidence to support its validity; meanwhile, we are just a few months away from Ethereum Casper being implemented.
Although the last research topic will be focused on Hyperledger Burrow, its findings should have general applicability to other smart contract enabl

In an announcement yesterday, multinational bank HSBC declared a clearing of USD 250 billion of forex trading in 2018 through blockchain. The bank further acknowledged the usefulness of the technology within its banking processes - beyond the speculative utility of cryptocurrencies alone.
The bank said it had processed more than 3 million forex trades using the technology. While this represents a small fraction of its total currency business, it’s a plus for the industry seeing how a large mainstream financial entity could use the tech in simplifying a small fraction of forex trade processes.
The bank developed its own blockchain solution dubbed FX Everywhere which has been used to coordinate over 150,000 payments across HSBC’s internal balance sheets in the course of a year. The bank said that it has helped it “drastically increase the efficiency of these internal workflows” and cut down spending.
HSBC said that the technology has also enabled it to rely less on external technology providers. The distributed nature of the ledger offers real-time updates, therefore, executives within the organizations can view the changes made simultaneously as the transactions move from execution to settlement.
In May last year, the bank said it had performed the world’s first commercially-viable trade finance transaction using blockchain technology when it issued a letter of credit for US food and agriculture firm Cargill.
Now, the bank is making a move to offer the solution to clients handling treasury business and cross-border payments to lend a hand in their processes.
Blockchain has once again proven itself as a useful infrastructure within the financial system. While some may still be hesitant to adopt the technology, others have invested huge amounts of resources to explore relevant use case areas. The results for most may still look stingy, however, a few have been able to attest to the true potential of the technology.
Last year saw strides in the industry that included cross border payment solutions attempted by Kuwait Central Bank. In South Korea, Shinhan Bank has been considering blockchain to mitigate human error in banking.
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At least 24 tobacco shops have started selling bitcoin coupons in the French capital of Paris. Widely known as “tabacs”, the stores received regulatory approval for the cryptocurrency sales late last year. More than 6,500 tabacs - representing about a quarter of the registered tobacco stores in France - are expected to start offering BTC coupons by February.
Also read: Report Claims Central Banks Are Cautious About Us suing Their Own Digital Currencies
BTC Vouchers for 50, 100 and 250 Euros
According to a Reuters report published Jan. 9 (which mentions only six tabacs), French financial technology group Keplerk is backing the sale of bitcoin in tobacco stores. In 2018, the company reached an agreement with a local payments software provider allowing tabac owners to sell BTC vouchers that can be redeemed from wallet on Keplerk’s website. Keplerk put the figure of bitcoin selling tobacco outlets at 24, in a statement to French website capital.fr.
Currently, BTC can be bought in three sums of 50 euros, 100 euros and 250 euros ($43, $86 and $250). In exchange for the euro, the user obtains a ticket containing an alphanumeric code and a QR code. Buyers then have to visit the Keplerk website to convert their vouchers into cryptocurrency of either bitcoin core or ethereum. Keplerk charges a commission of 7 percent on each ticket sold and gives 1.25% to the tobacconist, the company said.
Adil Zakhar, co-founder of Keplerk, stated:
Some people find it complicated to get bitcoins online They trust their local tobacco shop owner more than they would trust some remote anonymous website.
Tabacs already sell a variety of products including cigars, cigarettes and lottery tickets. Several of France’s 24,000 licensed tobacco shops have moved into new areas, such as prepaid credit cards, cellphone credits and money transfer services to compensate for the declining revenue from tobacco sales.
‘A Good Time to Buy’
Late last year, the French Prudential Supervision and Resolution Authority (ACPR), a unit of the country’s central bank charged with monitoring financial transactions involving banks and insurance companies, officially authorized the Federation of tobacco shops to begin selling bitcoin at the start of 2019.
Reuters quoted one Cyril Azria, a 45-year old man who became one of the first buyers of the BTC coupon saying: “I’ll use the bitcoins to buy some computer material on the internet and the rest to speculate. It’s a good time to buy,” he said, after spending 150 euros.
French regulators have warned the public against investing in cryptocurrencies, saying the unregulated financial instruments are highly volatile. However, they have not blocked Keplerk’s tabac plan.
What do you think about French bitcoin-selling tobacco outlets? Let us know in the comments section below.
Images courtesy of Shutterstock and Keplerk.
Need to calculate your bitcoin holdings? Check our tools section.
The post Bitcoin Goes on Sale in 24 French Tobacco Stores appeared first on Bitcoin News.

According to Reuters, French fintech company Keplerk is backing six tobacco shops in Paris and nearby regions, that are now selling Bitcoin.
The company hopes to enroll 6,500 more Tabacs by February, potentially fueling a new wave of crypto adoption in the country.
Trusting Your Local Tobacco Shop
According to Adil Zakhar, the co-founder of Keplerk, it could be difficult for some people to buy Bitcoin online. “They trust their local tobacco shop owner more than they would trust some remote anonymous website,” he said.
The company secured a contract with a local cash-register software provider last year, which included an option for Tabac shops.
These shop owners will be able to sell vouchers that can be redeemed for Bitcoins.
The coins will be stored in an electronic wallet available on Keplerk’s website.
Though the shops are not selling Bitcoins directly, they are providing users with an option that makes buying crypto easy.
Some industry experts are criticizing the plan and say that buying Bitcoin online is faster and cheaper.
Dwindling Sales Lead to Diversification
France is the home to about 24,000 licensed tobacco shops which have seen decreased Tobacco sales.
These shops have now started diversifying by offering a variety of new products including cellphone credits, money transfer services, and prepaid credit cards.
One of the first crypto shoppers called Cyril Azria said that he would use Bitcoin to “buy some computer material” and with leftovers he would speculate in the market.
He bought 150 euros worth of Bitcoin, adding that it was a good time to buy.
Note that the value of Bitcoin has fallen by over 70 percent from its all-time highs of $20,000 about a year ago.
Crypto enthusiasts are holding on to their coins in the hope of better adoption and a second bullish run in the near future.
French regulators have been somewhat hawkish on cryptocurrencies and warned against buying these highly volatile and unregulated digital assets in November last year.
However, they have not interfered with Keplerk’s plans yet.
With Bitcoin’s increased exposure to the French market through Tabac shops combined with the ongoing yellow vest protests against President Macron’s green tax on diesel, the anti-establishment sentiment is growing stronger which could foster crypto adoption.
There were reports that about 70% of French citizens withdrew all their money from banks to destabilize the system. In times of political turmoil, Bitcoin could be seen as a better alternative option for some people.
Tobacco Shops in Paris Start Selling Bitcoin for Cash was originally found on Cryptocurrency News | Blockchain News | Bitcoin News | blokt.com.

Alex Casassovici talked to Block.one about the new platform called Azarus that lets gamers create and run their own challenges using the EOSIO blockchain.
His interview with Block.one was recently published on the project’s blog.
What Is Azarus?
Azarus, according to Casassovici is a “game challenge network.” It allows players to “define and run their own challenges on their own terms.”
The team behind Azarus has been working actively with publishers to access the best data sources, letting them know what happens in the games in real-time.
This data is fed to smart contracts that operate the gaming challenges.
The Azarus team stuck to the thesis that “challenges” are the language of gamers.
Alex noted that games changed drastically since Xbox Live created the first achievement network sixteen years ago with games now much more ‘long lasting.’
In the new scenario, retaining players is as important as bringing new players to the network.
He noted the importance of Azarus partnering with game publishers, to enable players to have more fun with games they already love.
The platform’s founding team is working out of San Francisco, where Alex is working as a technologist and engineer.
The team also includes serial entrepreneur Andrew Lacy, former academic researcher and ex-Gameloft, EA, Ubisoft, and Facebook employee Benjamin Devienne and Erik Whiteford, who previously led marketing initiatives at EA Sports, EA Games, Wargaming, and 2K Sports.
Scaling up and Future Plans
The network’s first alpha-test went live in September last year with Ubisoft’s Rainbow Six: Siege.
The publisher designed challenges that pop up at the end of a match via a Twitch extension. Players can earn AZA credits for correct answers. These credits can be exchanged for in-game items on azarus.io.
Alex noted that the first test was a “tremendous success.”
On their decision of sticking to the EOSIO blockchain network, Alex noted that they had created an open platform “that’s sanctioned by publishers and that stays away from betting and gambling.”
Using blockchain creates trust. EOSIO helps in providing great transaction speeds and lets users interact with the blockchain without going into the technical details, making it a good fit for Azarus.
The network’s AZA credit is a virtual ccurrency which provides a measure of how much time a user has spent in a game and his proficiency/skills.
He added that the EOS Community has been enthusiastic about their offering.
The EOS community has helped in providing resources to support the network and in defining the right architecture that allows them to move to mainnet as well.
Alex Casassovici Talks Azarus, a Gaming ‘Challenges’ Platform Built on EOSIO was originally found on Cryptocurrency News | Blockchain News | Bitcoin News | blokt.com.

The tech and data giant Facebook has had a relatively quiet an inconsistent relationship with blockchain and cryptocurrencies in the past. But now we are seeing some serious step being taken by the company to incorporate this technology. The main indicators are the new positions on the Facebook team and Coinbase’s David Marcus resigning and sticking as Facebook’s head of blockchain.
Recently, the following spaces have been filled on the Facebook team:
Data Scientist, Blockchain
Data Engineer, Blockchain
Software Engineer, Blockchain
Software Engineer, Blockchain
Product Marketing Lead
One of the job roles was described as:
“Our blockchain team is fundamental to that mission and we are seeking an experienced leader to build and manage a new product marketing team focused in exploring the opportunity the blockchain will bring. This person will be responsible for creating our product strategy for developers and consumers, managing our product go-to-market plans and coordinating a cross-functional team to bring great solutions to connect the community.”
In addition to this, a few months back in August 2018, Facebook’s current blockchain boss David Marcus left the board of Coinbase in order to “avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest”. He told Business Insider:
“Because of the new group I’m setting up at Facebook around blockchain, I’ve decided it was appropriate for me to resign from the Coinbase board.”
At the same time, Facebook looked to hire an experienced blockchain expert saying that the “ultimate goal is to help billions of people with access to things they don’t have now... could be things like equitable financial services, new ways to save, or new ways to share information.” These developments undoubtedly set a great expectation on the horizon.
Facebook did have its ups and downs in relation to cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology. Following the Cambridge Analytica scandal, Daily Hodl writes that “blockchain experts have reportedly turned down offers from Facebook, rebuffing the very centralized power structure so many blockchain developers are trying to counterbalance.”
Facebook did also ban all crypto ads from its platform in January this year, reportedly out of fear of spams and frauds. The ban was lifted in June. Seemingly Facebook realized the profit they would have lost out on, and introduced a screening process for those who want to advertise.
Facebook CEO Zuckerberg himself wrote a post in January 2018 where he clearly expresses his interest in cryptocurrency and foreshadows developments to come.
“With the rise of a small number of big tech companies — and governments using technology to watch their citizens — many people now believe technology only centralizes power rather than decentralizes it. There are important counter-trends to this -like encryption and cryptocurrency — that take power from centralized systems and put it back into people’s hands. But they come with the risk of being harder to control. I’m interested to go deeper and study the positive and negative aspects of these technologies, and how best to use them in our services. This will be a serious year of self-improvement and I’m looking forward to learning from working to fix our issues together.”
Facebook has in fact attempted to start up its own native virtual currency. In 2009, Facebook Credits were released, with which users could buy virtual goods in their Facebook games, like the once-popular “Farmville”. However, the feature was shut down two years later since it did not catch on. Facebook did take a more serious step towards finance in 2017. In the Messenger, users are now able to pay and receive money with Paypal.
Are the perks of blockchain the next features of Facebook? A native cryptocurrency could allow over 2 billion users to tip pages, pay the platform to prevent advertising, cross-border transactions, paying for business ads, expand its marketplace and the list goes on along with your imagination.
With Facebook highly developed and massive data centers, an integration of a blockchain network is actually relatively easy to lay out. Although things are moving fast, I suspect that it will probably take several years before we can see blockchain applied to Facebook.
The post Facebook makes significant moves towards crypto appeared first on Crypto Insider.

Cryptocurrency gradually penetrates into our lives and people are ready to trade with new options available to them. There are 5.8 million active Bitcoin users in the world, according to the Cambridge University study. Nevertheless, spending cryptocurrencies is still a challenge due to a lack of effective and usable instruments that help businesses and their clients to manage the crypto transactions.
Crypto for businesses: why and how
Payments with cryptos are becoming mainstream, and businesses strive to fulfill customers’ wishes. A Spanish network of 130 Nostrum coffee shops has recently announced its partnership with Cyclebit, a startup developing payment platforms that allows stores to process and customers to pay with cryptocurrency. Using Cyclebit’s solution, coffee shops will be able to accept Bitcoin throughout the country. Why do merchants seek to offer buyers new settlement options?
The conventional payment methods can require additional costs associated with fees and commissions that reach up to 4%. On the contrary, transacting in cryptocurrency can reduce the commissions just to 1%. The question is how to make these means of settlements widespread and be used everywhere.
The cryptocurrency payment applications and gateways considerably simplify the transaction process and cut the processing fees. These solutions are a good alternative to credits cards and paper money. Using crypto apps, customers don’t need to open their wallets or enter any data, they can pay the goods and services just by scanning a QR code. By the way, no one seems to be much impressed by scanning of QR codes these days. So, why not employ them on cryptos?
Crypto payment applications are a growing trend. The survey of the payment processor Square showed that 60% of its vendors would prefer to accept Bitcoin over USD. What’s more, the Square’s payment application Cash App demonstrated an impressive growth in BTC transactions that brought a $43 million worth of revenues, according to the company’s Q3 report.
The market demands new ways of payments, and crypto is not an exception. To catch the trends and move with the times, entrepreneurs have to integrate new methods for settlements with buyers. And the market is ready to provide them with solutions such as crypto payment apps and gateways. Some of them are already well-known worldwide.
Top 3 crypto payments apps simplifying payment processes
Coinbase, one of the largest world’s exchanges, launched its own payment service of the same name. The application allows vendors to accept Bitcoin and change it into Fiat without additional procedures like withdrawal. It also provides users with information about the payee’s rating. Moreover, the tool enables them to give feedback about the seller after the completion of every deal. Over 38k companies including Dell, Expedia, and Overstock use the Coinbase app.
Another crypto payment application, Coingate, allows businesses to set up and monitor transactions from their smartphones. The service supports 40 cryptocurrencies, which help merchants increase the number of various payment methods. Coingate provides a range of different plugins and even allows merchants to create Bitcoin payment buttons on any website.
The Noah Project keeps up with the giants and has recently launched its own cryptocurrency payment application Noah Pay. The venture is known as one of the most innovative market players promoting advanced technologies in the Asian region. It is currently building a blockchain-driven ecosystem that includes Noah Pay as well. The company has created the app to make crypto transactions as simple and easy-to-use as possible.
The Noah team states,
“Our experience shows that any successful solution is based on usability. Noah Pay is called upon to permit people to buy any goods and services with cryptocurrency while merchants will be able to receive the payments instantaneously and without incurring huge charges. We hope our product will encourage businesses to expand their payment options and facilitate the increased adoption of cryptocurrencies”
As other crypto payment apps, Noah Pay is designed to allow crypto holders to shop with their virtual assets. Merchants, in turn, will be able to attract new customers from among token owners and drastically cut the processing costs.
Large possibilities as one-click payment make Noah Pay a very intuitive and user-friendly application. It will be available on smartphones, tablets, and other devices. To accept crypto payments, users will need only a login and password. They will be able to pay with Noah Coins at first. In the future the range of accepted cryptos will be expanded.
Cryptocurrencies are gaining momentum, and it’s no wonder that the demand for their actual use also grows. Accepting digital coins as the transaction method opens up new opportunities for both merchants and customers while crypto payment apps such as Noah Pay or Coinbase app will help them to fully control their funds

My CS teacher at school has been teaching us about Crypto (his portfolio is worth a lot more than I’ll ever get to). He’s also been teaching us about the blockchain technology quite a bit and I’m one of the few who’ve coined into it.
I have quite a lot of questions - where can I buy ether? Is there any way that I can get it cheap? What are the safest wallets to use? What’s the best way to go if I’m just going to hold for a long time.
I might start using my pocket money from my parents to buy a certain amount a week but don’t know where I could do small amounts - let’s say $10 . Christmas is coming up so I might take advantage of the extra money I’ll be getting
[EDIT] After looking at some messages it looks like I’d find it good to learn how to code. What’s good to learn how to code with crypto (I guess with ether)

IBM is a bright spot among fortune 500 companies with a vision for using blockchain to solve critical business challenges. Building on a history of deep experience in the transaction business, IBM is working today to take blockchain tech to the mainstream and find innovative ways to build on these trustless systems.
Nitin Gaur, Director of IBM Blockchain Labs, joined Crypto Insider for a chat about what IBM is doing with blockchain, how artificial intelligence can be utilized in this space, and the history of IBM when it comes to building on payment and transaction systems.
We present to you the full transcript of our chat and hope you will get a fuller understanding of how blockchain technology is being put to use at a corporate level to solve global challenges.
Watch in the embed above or watch on YouTube.
Full transcript of Nitin Gaur’s interview with Crypto Insider’s Nathan Ashworth:
Nathan: So, one thing is, with most Fortune 500 companies today, they see how important Blockchain is, they maybe see the potential, but IBM is kind of an exception, you have jumped on this, probably for several years now. When did this first get on the radar, at IBM, that you decided as a company that you were going to start investing in this heavily?
NITIN GAUR: Yeah, so, it is an interesting story because I used to run mobile payments, for us, in terms of figuring out what it means to handle, you know, the whole journey from - and we are still in that phase - going from the normal traditional payments rails to simplifying it, an economic inclusion agenda of many companies is going after mobile payments. In that journey in early 2012, me and my team we met with about 65 plus different payment processors in the world. And in that conversation Blockchain began to surface up in many of those. And some of us went back and said, okay we need to figure this out, because it’s Bitcoin, and many of us were just curious, but we knew what Bitcoin was.
We went and researched the hell out of this, we spoke to IBM research, we had an early project of Blue Coin inside of IBM, this is earlier on, no one really knows about it, but we did have that project, but you know, it is one thing to have a technical project, it is another to make it commercial. You need business case, you need investments, you need some of these things. And I think, late 2013, when some of our senior client executives began to ask us about our point of view, was when we got into it, and then we announced to the world that we are going fully with it. There is something else you should know, the reason why we got into it, it’s because it is not just a panacea, it is not just cool tech, that we have to do it. If you look at IBM’s business, we have been in transaction systems since the inception of transaction systems, this goes back to our very old business of mainframe leading to all the database technology, all the CICS and base technologies.
So, if Blockchain would be the next generation transaction system, which is what it is destined to be, then we are as much disrupted as the financial institutions that we talk about being disrupted, and many other industries. So, I think it’s an important step, an important investment and technology in my opinion. So, that’s when we announced to the world and we haven’t looked back, I think it is working well for us as well.
Nathan: So, the most recent development I saw was the World Wire service, but I am sure there are other things. But can you talk about that a little bit in relation to Stellar and how that works?
NITIN GAUR: Yeah. So, a few things on this. One is, what we need to talk about in the industry is protocols, which means that at this point in time, there are many companies working on different technology platforms, different protocols, there’s layer one, layer two for optimization, layer three for interoperability between protocols, similar to what we have seen early days with the internet. We had basic link layer protocols, and we have IP which was abstracted and then you have application level protocols which made the internet to what it is today.
We are in the similar level of infancy and, so, from our perspective, some execs thought that we should not put all eggs in one basket which, as you know, we were heavily invested and one of the founding members of the Linux Foundation, which runs an open source community driven project called HyperLedger. So a few execs embarked on this payment network, which was based on Stellar.
So, Stellar is the underlying technology, what is important is not the rails, which is the network behind the scenes, but what is important is what we are trying to achieve with World Wire, and the ability for us to be able to fence off provides a more regulated way to transact, be able to introduce newer business models by introduction of what we call ‘stable coin’ which is one way to digitize Fiat in the regulated way. I think it opens up a lot of horizons and a lot of business models wh

Here are the most important cryptourrency news of 13th December 2018:
Opera Offers Crypto Support With Built-in Cryptocurrency Wallet
Opera recently announced the “Web 3-ready” Android web browser, which also have a cryptocurrency wallet built-in the browser. As it appears, the September’s beta was a success and users had a lot in interest in this new feature. Opera for Android supports Ethereum (ETF) and other ERC-20 tokens. There’s also a support for crypto collectibles ( ERC-721) such as CryptoKitties. Using the wallet, users can also access dApps. Charles Hamel, Opera Crypto Product Manager declared:
“Until now using cryptocurrencies online and accessing Web 3 required special apps or extensions, making it difficult for people to even try it out. Our new browser removes that friction,”
According to Coindesk, the Opera team improved the user interface significantly and made it really user friendly. There aren’t so many steps needed to set up the wallet and the step-by-step process is easy to use by any crypto enthusiasts or even someone who’s not related to crypto at all:
The company declared that the support for Ethereum was thanks to the argest community of developers building dapps and has gathered a lot of momentum behind it,. The crypto wallet also integrates Ethereum Web3 API which allows users interact with different dApps. The company claims this is a “tool to access information, make transactions online and manage users’ online identity in a way that gives them more control.” But they couldn’t have done it without the major support from the dApps developers. They wanted to make sure the app will work properly in the browser and thanks to that the wallet “have better stability and better dapp compatibility,”.
You can download and test the app from the Google Play store. OPera further plan to add similar updates to its desktop browser for Windows, Mac and Linux in 2019. A developer version is already available there for testing purposes. Regarding an iOS app, the company declared that the strict environment are making things harder and they don’t see one in the short future. Vice President for Browsers at Opera, Krystian Kolondra, stated:
“Our hope is that this step will accelerate the transition of cryptocurrencies from speculation and investment to being used for actual payments and transactions in our users’ daily lives.”
German Stock Exchange To Launch Crypto Trading Platform In 2019
It appears that Bakkt will have some competition in 2019. Boerse Stuttgart Group, Gemany’s Second-largest stock exchange, will create and launch a cryptocurrency trading platform in the first half of 2019. The company announced today that by a partnership with the fintech company solarisBank - an engineering infrastructure for the digital assets trading will be created. As solarisBank operates with a banking license in the country, it will also stand as Boerse’s banking partner for the future venture. Alexander Hoptner, Boerse Stuttgart CEO, declared
“With its combination of technology and banking expertise, solarisBank is a great partner for us to offer central services along the value chain for digital assets,”
In the first months, the platform will offer trading Bitcoin and Ethereum. For other cryptocurrencies, they need to wait until its Initial Coin Offering platform will go live. The platform will be available for both individuals and institutional investors and will work in a similar way to a stock trading platform. This means that open order books, execution and everything else will be in compliance with the local laws. Right now, the company seeks a reulatory approval to offer multilateral trading facility (MTF) for its crypto trading marketplace. MTF is a trading system that allows buyers and sellers of financial instruments trade using electronic systems.
The plans for the stock exchange were revealed last year, and the ICO token trading ones in august this year. The trading app , Bison, will be launched by Sowa Labs ( a subsidiary of Boerse’s) and will offer fee-free trading at launch. Yesterday, SolarisBank teamed up with Bitwala payments startup to help the offer crypto baking services in Germany. More details about that can be found on Coindesk.
Razer’s ‘SoftMiner’ for Gamers - Mining Cryptocurrency for Razor Store Credits
It appears that Razer is stepping on the Asus’s footsteps. The company recently announced a SoftMiner program that miners can use to mine digital currencies when their computers are idle. The profit generated will be contributed to Razer’s GammaNow and users would receive loyalty points which they can use the get discounts on Razer Products.
The partnership between GammaNow and Razer is pretty recent. The management of digital currencies will be GammaNow’s main duty. As they claimed, the miner will mostly mine Ethereum (ETH) and a few others by rotating basis. GammaNow will manage the cryptocurrencies and will offer Razer a fee for the users brought. The users on the other h

Razer has launched a new program that utilizes the world of digital currencies and gaming.
The gaming hardware manufacturer has introduced a new SoftMiner program that allows gamers to mine digital currencies when their computers are idle.
The coins generated will be contributed to Razer’s partner GammaNow with users receiving loyalty points in return that can be spent on Razer products.
The Economics of the Offering
Razer recently partnered with GammaNow, which has been tasked with the management of the digital currencies mined by users. One of the mined cryptocurrencies will be Ether, the native currency of the Ethereum blockchain. Other cryptocurrencies will also be mined but on a rotating basis.
GammaNow will manage the tokens and provide Razer a fee for bringing users that contribute their computing power. Users, on the other hand, will get Silver loyalty points which offer discounts on Razer products.
Razer spokesperson Kevin Allen defined how the process works, saying:
“The cryptocurrency that’s being mined through this program is not touching Razer’s hands nor the user’s hands. We get a fee from the third party for generating cryptocurrency.”
Social Media Users Confused By the Offering
GammaNow is a gaming-centered platform which allows users to contribute their idle computing power in return for Gamma Points, which can be used on rewards like esports tickets and skins.
Razer suggests that GammaNow has purchased the Silver platform and will reward users directly through it. In a statement, Razer noted that its new partner is “handling the immediate sale of what [cryptocurrency] is mined.”
Some social media users, however, did not seem too keen on the offerings of the SoftMiner program which resulted in a slew of confused users discussing it on Twitter.
This is weird. I guess Razer is using computers to mine something real, keeping it, and giving users proprietary credits for their trouble? https://t.co/pBGGgYfh0f
— Neeraj K. Agrawal (@NeerajKA) December 12, 2018
Mining cryptocurrencies is an intensive process for computer hardware and the users minting the new coins and would have increased electricity demands.
Razer said that the Silver rewards received will be determined by the kind of graphics card used and the amount of time a computer contributes to mining. Playing games on Razer Cortex is another way to earn Silver.
Razer Launches ‘SoftMiner’ for Gamers; Mine Crypto for Store Credits was originally found on [blokt] - Blockchain, Bitcoin & Cryptocurrency News.

Singaporean gaming giant, Razer, has released cryptocurrency mining software that gamers can use when their platforms are idle. The software, dubbed ‘Razer SoftMiner’, lies dormant when the PC is in use and will only activate when the GPU is idle. The company has not specified which cryptocurrencies the software is capable of mining and speculators believe Monero or Ethereum could be potential options. Razer ‘miners' will receive their payment via the company’s rewards program, Razer Silver and these tokens can be used to purchase items from Razer’s ‘Silver catalog’. A $5 discount code will cost 1,500 credits and this is the cheapest item in the store. Users should note that the reward ratio works out to $1.67 per day or $0.07 per hour, which excludes the cost of electricity. (RS)

CoinSpeaker BitMax.io’s Reverse-Mining, Token Economics, and Inflation Management Protocols Highly Favor Traders and InvestorsBitMax.io in the Crypto Exchange SpaceBitMax.io (BTMX.io) is a global operator of an innovative digital asset trading platform with a broad range of products and services for global retail and institutional clients. With its relentless focus on transparency, reliability, and quality of execution and client services, BitMax.io has established itself as a clear leader in the crypto trading and exchange space.Since its launch in August 2018, BitMax.io has enjoyed considerable success, growing its user base to over 50,000 and providing 39 active trading pairs to the public, with new trading pairs and listings currently under review.Trans-Fee & Reverse MiningMuch of this success has been driven by BitMax.io’s user-centric innovations that incentivize more trading on the BitMax.io platform. One of these new trading models, known as trans-fee mining, allows traders to earn platform utility token, the BTMX token, whenever they trade on BitMax.io and pay for transaction fees. BitMax.io deducts trade transaction fees from traders and then credits their account with BTMX tokens of the same value. This is in stark contrast to the profit-first approach adopted by many traditional exchanges that simply deduct transaction fees from client orders.Trans-fee mining was quickly followed by the introduction of reverse mining, separate unique incentive structure for Maker trades - which are trades that that have not been filled immediately partially or fully (like a limit order). Under this model, when a user executes a maker trade, the user will receive a rebate of the transaction fee in exchange for an equivalent market value of BTMX that the user holds in their account. The deducted BTMX tokens are then put into permanent lock-up, effectively moving them from the market supply.Reverse mining with trans-fee mining were formally launched to public on Nov 18, 2018, along with the industry-lowest commission rate at only 0.04%. Along with new, strategic partnerships in the blockchain and cryptocurrency space, BitMax.io is steadily cementing its reputation as the world’s first 3rd-generation cryptocurrency exchange platform. These trading and exchange innovations also lead to smoother user experiences, tighter market spreads, and better liquidity as compared to the wider crypto exchange market,, thus allowing traders to save in terms of fees and deductions.Reverse mining and trans-fee mining models not only provide the additional value for traders and investors, but also help potentially support the price level for BTMX tokens on the secondary market while putting in place an important check-and-balance mechanism for stability and liquidity in times of volatility.Reverse Mining in PracticeWith traditional mining models, once the platform token (in this case, BTMX) is earned, the miner usually sells it in the secondary market in exchange for other paired cryptocurrencies. Since the trader continues to mine and sell his or her mining earnings in the form of BTMX, traditional mining is a one-way inflation model only on selling.Over time, with the increasing number of platform coins in circulation, selling pressure rises dramatically until the market for platform tokens collapses.BitMax.io’s innovative mining with reverse-mining mechanism, however, is a viable solution to the critical issues of selling pressure and inflation with multiple benefits.Firstly, there is more up-to-date reflection of value creation with BTMX prices at any given point in time based on real-time mining activities. The longer-term lock up schedule combined with additional distribution of data usage fee pool based on daily transaction fee are designed further to enhance intrinsic value of BTMX from exchange operations as well as to manage overall token supply and demad.Secondly, the reverse mining rebate offered to those with Maker traders acts as an incentive for them to provide more liquidity and depth of the exchange, the core differentiation for any successful exchange.Thirdly, the unique design of additional transaction fee distribution to the token holders also support the overall stable level of BTMX toke price over longer term. This is managed through the setup of the Data Usage Fee Pool (“the Pool”). Every day, the platform will set aside 80% of net transaction fee revenue for the Pool and distribute back to token holders 1/180 of the Data Usage Fee Pool balance. Compared with traditional mining fee income distribution patterns, BitMax.io’s Pool will grow as mining activities continue. However, with the Pool, BitMax.io pays users for BTMX usage data, with 80% of BitMax.io’s net transaction fee revenue distributed back to token holders who sign up and agree to share their token transaction information with the platform. This provides additional incentives for users to hold BTMX tokens, and by holding tokens and not selling t

BitMax.io in the Crypto Exchange Space
BitMax.io (BTMX.io) is a global operator of an innovative digital asset trading platform with a broad range of products and services for global retail and institutional clients. With its relentless focus on transparency, reliability, and quality of execution and client services, BitMax.io has established itself as a clear leader in the crypto trading and exchange space.
Since its launch in August 2018, BitMax.io has enjoyed considerable success, growing its user base to over 50,000 and providing 39 active trading pairs to the public, with new trading pairs and listings currently under review.
Trans-Fee & Reverse Mining
Much of this success has been driven by BitMax.io’s user-centric innovations that incentivize more trading on the BitMax.io platform. One of these new trading models, known as trans-fee mining, allows traders to earn platform utility token, the BTMX token, whenever they trade on BitMax.io and pay for transaction fees. BitMax.io deducts trade transaction fees from traders and then credits their account with BTMX tokens of the same value. This is in stark contrast to the profit-first approach adopted by many traditional exchanges that simply deduct transaction fees from client orders.
Trans-fee mining was quickly followed by the introduction of reverse mining, separate unique incentive structure for Maker trades - which are trades that that have not been filled immediately partially or fully (like a limit order). Under this model, when a user executes a maker trade, the user will receive a rebate of the transaction fee in exchange for an equivalent market value of BTMX that the user holds in their account. The deducted BTMX tokens are then put into permanent lock-up, effectively moving them from the market supply.
Reverse mining with trans-fee mining were formally launched to the public on Nov 18, 2018, along with the industry-lowest commission rate at only 0.04%. Along with new, strategic partnerships in the blockchain and cryptocurrency space, BitMax.io is steadily cementing its reputation as the world’s first 3rd-generation cryptocurrency exchange platform. These trading and exchange innovations also lead to smoother user experiences, tighter market spreads, and better liquidity as compared to the wider crypto exchange market, thus allowing traders to save in terms of fees and deductions.
Reverse mining and trans-fee mining models not only provide the additional value for traders and investors, but also help potentially support the price level for BTMX tokens on the secondary market while putting in place an important check-and-balance mechanism for stability and liquidity in times of volatility.
Reverse Mining in Practice
With traditional mining models, once the platform token (in this case, BTMX) is earned, the miner usually sells it in the secondary market in exchange for other paired cryptocurrencies. Since the trader continues to mine and sell his or her mining earnings in the form of BTMX, traditional mining is a one-way inflation model only on selling.
Over time, with the increasing number of platform coins in circulation, selling pressure rises dramatically until the market for platform tokens collapses.
BitMax.io’s innovative mining with reverse-mining mechanism, however, is a viable solution to the critical issues of selling pressure and inflation with multiple benefits.
Firstly, there is more up-to-date reflection of value creation with BTMX prices at any given point in time based on real-time mining activities. The longer-term lock up schedule combined with additional distribution of data usage fee pool based on daily transaction fee are designed further to enhance intrinsic value of BTMX from exchange operations as well as to manage overall token supply and demand.
Secondly, the reverse mining rebate offered to those with Maker traders acts as an incentive for them to provide more liquidity and depth of the exchange, the core differentiation for any successful exchange.
Thirdly, the unique design of additional transaction fee distribution to the token holders also support the overall stable level of BTMX toke price over longer term. This is managed through the setup of the Data Usage Fee Pool (“the Pool”). Every day, the platform will set aside 80% of net transaction fee revenue for the Pool and distribute back to token holders 1/180 of the Data Usage Fee Pool balance. Compared with traditional mining fee income distribution patterns, BitMax.io’s Pool will grow as mining activities continue. However, with the Pool, BitMax.io pays users for BTMX usage data, with 80% of BitMax.io’s net transaction fee revenue distributed back to token holders who sign up and agree to share their token transaction information with the platform. This provides additional incentives for users to hold BTMX tokens, and by holding tokens and not selling them, token prices become more stable, and more stability in token prices, in turn, encourages more mining as

Businesses in Italy using cryptocurrency may no longer enjoy the mainstream benefits of decentralized economy. According to the reports, companies based on the crypto mechanism or employing cryptocurrency will not be eligible to register their business with Business Register.
The news first broke out when an Italian Joint Stock company, named S.r.l (‘società a responsabilità limitata’) found using a specific cryptocurrency which was not registered in any of the main exchanges. Moreover, the company refused to register itself with the Business Register of Italy - although, several other companies already using cryptocurrency were never discriminated to do so. As a result, if the specific cryptocurrency is already listed across trading platforms, law enforcement wouldn’t censure - but the cryptocurrency used by S.r.l is listed under one platform which conflicts the assessment of the country’s economy. As per the legal bureaucracies addressing cryptocurrency “All asset items must have a measurable economic value’.
Furthermore, Article 2465 of the Civil code relating to conferment states;
Those who confer assets in kind or credits should attach a report containing an indication of the evaluation criteria adopted and the attestation that their value is at least equal to that attributed to them for the purposes of determining the capital share”.
It states that while cryptocurrency being used at only one platform has shown the “uncertainty about the confer-ability of the asset types”. However, the digital asset is not also verifiable objectively and hence it questioned why ambiguous assets can be operated within the territory.
Following the firm’s application, the court claimed materials that would need to examine the business and approve its commercial operation with Business Register. However, the firm failed to provide the sufficient materials and hence S.r.l would not be registered under Business Register. Since the cryptocurrency is decentralized in nature, it’s quite difficult to deal with businesses employing cryptocurrency within the nation. Furthermore, the court feels that the “improved regulatory frameworks” are needed to effectively handle crypto processes within the country.
The post Italian Court Denies Registering Businesses Using Cryptocurrency appeared first on Coingape.

In an official blog post, NEM has announced the arrival of Pac-Man's game PacNEM on its blockchain. NEM blockchain will be used in authenticating players, storing game credits, and keeping track of score leaderboard. Players will be required to enter an XEM address for charging a nominal amount and a username to get started. The game is said to aid in reflecting the ease of using NEM to advertise and sponsor software in the gaming sector. (KE)

AWS has announced Quantum Ledger Database (QLDB) and Amazon Managed Blockchain offerings.
Different Service for Different Need
Amazon Web Services, the cloud computing subsidiary of Amazon.com, has introduced two new blockchain-based service offerings which will cater to different category of customers.
The first service, named Quantum Ledger Database (QLDB), is a transparent, immutable, and cryptographically verifiable ledger designed for functions like supply chain, finance, manufacturing, insurance, and HR that need a central, trusted authority.
The second offering is called Amazon Managed Blockchain, and it enables customers to create and manage networks using the Ethereum or Hyperledger blockchains. Both services will help companies execute business transactions that require an audit trail.
QLDB
This offering is suited for those use cases which require a centralized, immutable ledger that records the transactions. Examples of such use cases include tracking an item through its supply-chain or tracking credits and debits in banking transactions.
The ledger is owned by a single entity in the organization and can be shared with any number of organizations or stakeholders that are working together.
QLDB eliminates the need for customers to build complex audit functionality into a relational database or rely on a public blockchain ledger. It uses an immutable transactional log called journal, which tracks each application data change and maintains a complete and verifiable history of changes over time.
Shawn Bice, Vice President, Nonrelational Databases at AWS, said:
Earlier this year, when we started talking to customers about what they needed from a blockchain solution, we realized that the Amazon QLDB’s ledger technology met a lot of their requirements. They wanted a centrally-owned ledger that provided an immutable way to log the transactions history of their applications and was transparent to all the parties with whom they were interacting. So, today we’re offering an immutable, transparent, and cryptographically verifiable ledger, based on the same one that AWS teams have been using for years at scale, as a fully managed service.
Managed Blockchain
Some customers need the immutability and verifiable capability of a ledger and multiple stakeholders to transact without the need for a trusted central entity. For customers to commission infrastructure for permissioned blockchain requires not only time but also resources.
Amazon Managed Blockchain is a blockchain-as-a-service that is cost effective and easy to set up. The solution can scale up to handle millions of transactions.
The service leverages and provides two options for customers to choose from - Ethereum and Hyperledger fabric. For a permissioned network, AWS secures and manages blockchain network certificates with AWS Key Management Service. This removes the need for customers to set up their own secure key storage.
Rahul Pathak, General Manager, Amazon Blockchain at AWS, says:
Many of our customers want to build applications where multiple parties can execute transactions without a central, trusted authority, and they also need to create a blockchain network. Building a scalable blockchain network with existing technologies is just too hard today, and that’s why customers pay expensive consultants to help them.
Pathak added:
Amazon Managed Blockchain eliminates the muck involved in setting up a network, adding and removing members, and scaling to meet application demands. Customers can use either Ethereum or Hyperledger Fabric, the two most popular blockchain frameworks, and get a functioning blockchain network set up with just a few clicks.
For organizations that intend to pilot blockchain technology within their enterprise, opting for a cloud-based blockchain service provides a cost-effective and straightforward way to do so. With the custom options from AWS, enterprises can choose the option that best fits their specific need.
Do you think there is a demand for cloud-based blockchain services? Let us know in the comments below.
Images courtesy of Shutterstock.
The post Amazon Introduces Custom Blockchain Services appeared first on Live Bitcoin News.

BitMax.io (BTMX.io) is a global operator of an innovative digital asset trading platform with a broad range of products and services for global retail and institutional clients. With its relentless focus on transparency, reliability, and quality of execution and client services, BitMax.io has established itself as a clear leader in the crypto trading and exchange space.
As the world’s first true 3rd-generation cryptocurrency exchange platform, BitMax.io officially launched reverse mining with trans-fee mining for the public on Nov 18, 2018, at 8:09 PM EST (Nov 19, 2018, at 9:09 AM, CST). These services have gone live along with new, industry lowest commission rates that have been set to encourage more trading activities on the platform, as well as very tight market spread rates as compared to the wider crypto exchange market. When coupled with mining and reverse mining, BitMax.io’s low trading commission rates can help traders save substantially in terms of fees.
Low Commission and Tight Market Spread
BitMax.io enhances the trader cost savings in two key areas: By offering the lowest trading commission in the market (0.04%), and by providing users access to highly liquid trade markets that lead to very tight market spreads.
Furthermore, BTMX token design with respect to mining, storage, and token consumption architected to provide price stability and potential longer-term value, in relative to other industry players over the long run. BitMax.io set aside large portion of daily transaction fee revenue as the Data Usage Fee Pool (“fee pool”) for those users who sign up for the data sharing. As BitMax.io’s revenues grow, the platform’s fee pool grows incrementally. However, since the total number of BTMX tokens in circulation gets smaller over time, the distribution of fee pool for those token users can get higher and higher.
Token Economics and BTMX Stability
Next, we have token economics. BTMX token economics has built-in incentive mechanisms, including reverse-mining and token consumption that manage the number of tokens in circulation, and design of fee pool distribution that supports the value of holding BTMX on the longer term from price point of view to daily return from the fee pool. The BitMax.io platform keeps the information up-to-date on the front page, which again attests to their commitment to being transparent and client-centric.
How is this possible? The way the BitMax.io data usage fee pool is structured with the longer term of view. Other exchanges give out daily revenue completely every day and users have to be fully dependent on the next day’s business performance for next day distribution, which is unpredictable. BTMX token economics is different from that in terms of distributing certain portion of the pool on a daily basis and demonstrate the steady growth day after day. Therefore, the users can see the longerterm value from holding BTMX over period of time.
Low rates are part of the BitMax.io project vision and mission to offer liquid, high-performance and low-cost crypto trading experiences to everyone. Furthermore, BitMax.io’s team of Wall Street quant trading veterans have architected innovative trading protocols that are redefining the way exchanges operate. These protocols, namely reverse mining with trans-fee mining, place heavy emphasis on fairness, liquidity, and trade-based income streams for traders of all sizes with differentiation between maker and taker trades.
BTMX Allocations for Mining & Reverse Mining
Now that the platform has successfully established the best commission rate in the market, and with reverse mining and trans-fee mining protocols launched and in place, BitMax.io is happy to announce that 10 billion BTMX have been allocated for mining and reverse mining for all traders! All crypto enthusiasts are invited to this exciting launch and are encouraged to participate in BitMax.io trading in order to earn BTMX tokens and to earn from mining while enjoying transaction rebates with reverse mining for maker trades.
To recap the benefits of these models, trans-fee mining incentivizes trading on the platform by allowing traders to earn a new, valuable token, the BTMX platform utility token, whenever they conduct a trade. BitMax.io deducts trade transaction fees from users but then credits the user’s account with BTMX tokens of the same value. This is a vastly different approach to traditional exchange trading in which transaction fees are simply deducted from orders.
As for reverse mining, it incentivizes the users who places maker trades by giving them a rebate of transactions fee in exchange for an equivalent market value of the platform’s native BTMX token that the user holds in their account. The maker trades are those trades that have not been filled immediately and remain open either partially or fully (such as a limit order). The deducted BTMX tokens are then put into permanent lock-up, effectively moving them from the market supply.
Reverse mining and tra

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